This week’s Campus Celebrity profiles one Penn student’s ability to be in two places at once, or at least that’s what it seems like. You have likely seen her before—with her leading involvement in more than seven clubs and activities, both on and off campus, it’s hard to figure where she gets the time to do it all. Hermione’s Time Turner, perhaps?
Senior Brittney Jones-Ali first made herself known even before enrollment at Penn’s 2010 Multicultural Weekend for newly admitted students. She volunteered to sing at a talent show run by current performing arts groups on campus. Four academic years later, Brittney continues to shine brighter than ever, and not just on stage. Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with her specifically about her endeavors.
Born in West Philadelphia and residing in Germantown since 8th grade, Brittney mentioned her neighborhood of Overbrook Park where her mother went to high school with Will Smith. No big deal there. She spoke highly of her counselors at Philadelphia High School for Girls and gave them credit for encouraging her to apply to Penn. After growing up within the Philadelphia community, it makes sense that Brittney wants to volunteer for Philadelphia-related programs, specifically with students.
“I feel like I’m making the most difference in my work at schools. I really cherished the people who influenced my education career. I want to be that for someone else.”
Brittney has worked for two and a half years with Community School Student Partnerships (CSSP), where she mentors elementary children during and after the school day. Before her work with CSSP, Brittney mentored students in singing through the After School Arts Program.
On campus, Brittney is an English major with a concentration in cinema studies, is on the Undergraduate Advisory Board, and sings with Penn Sirens and recently wrote their fall show. She is the Vice President of Bent Button Productions, the only student filmmaking group on campus, and is writing and directing some screenplays of her own. She also acts and writes for the African American Arts Alliance (make sure to check out their spring show, she will be writing that too). Brittney has acted with the Underground Shakespeare Company and studied abroad multiple times in London—once through the summer Penn-in-London program and another through King’s College London. This past spring she attended the Cannes Film Festival in France. She is certainly a force to behold.
“I’m a really passionate and enthusiastic person who thrives off of stress and being busy. I just really wanted to do and explore everything I was interested in. I am still trying to balance study, sleep, and social. I usually like to combine study and social…and I never sleep. I just try my best and at times I might fail but I regret nothing”
The post-graduation future for Brittney consists of teaching either in the U.S. or Turkey while writing screenplays on the side. Yet in an ideal world, she would love to move out to L.A., wait tables, and write for television and film.